MILFORD – A Milford man found guilty of dumping 50 tons of debris in an open space area in Bellingham was sentenced to four years probation and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, authorities said on Wednesday.

James Dias, 33, was arrested and charged in May 2013 after Bellingham Police, along with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, conducted an extensive investigation using hidden cameras.

In April 2013, a resident spotted a large pile of debris by power lines in town and reported it to police.

The strike force provided the town with cameras, which were installed near the debris areas and allowed police to obtain license plate numbers and monitor when debris was being dumped.

"He (Stephen Daigle) put a lot of time and effort into this," said Bellingham Police Chief Gerard Daigle. "He went out of his way, worked on his time off, trying to catch the people responsible red-handed. I give him a lot of credit."

On May 10, 2013, Dias was observed dumping waste in the area and he was subsequently arrested.

The origin of waste in the debris pile was traced back to residents who had hired a local clean-out service that Dias ran and promoted on Craigslist.

Police determined Dias had been dumping the debris for several months and charged him with seven counts of trespassing with a motor vehicle and seven counts of dumping trash from a motor vehicle.

In Milford District Court, charges were combined and Dias was found guilty of one criminal charge of trespassing and one count of dumping, while six other charges were continued without a finding for four years. He also agreed to sufficient facts on the charges of operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license and vandalism to a property.

"On one hand it seems a little lenient, on the other at least it’s something to send a message that this kind of activity won’t be accepted in town," Daigle said.

A judge also required Dias to maintain full-time employment and his truck, which was used to carry the waste materials, was impounded and forfeited.

Contact Lindsay Corcoran at 508-634-7582 or lcorcoran@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @LacorcMDN.